Routine medical check-up turns into a 3-year cancer battle for Clearwater Bay couple
Bob and Catriona Rogers eventually overcome diagnosis through dogged determination, expert doctoring and the dedicated assistance of the Hong Kong Cancer Fund
Three years ago, Bob and Catriona Rogers went for what they supposed would be a routine joint annual medical check-up. It turned out to be anything but.
The Clearwater Bay couple, who have lived in Hong Kong for 40 years, found themselves plunged into medical confusion – which they finally overcame through dogged determination, expert doctoring, and the dedicated assistance of the Hong Kong Cancer Fund (HKCF).
“Catriona has a family history of cancer so we’ve always been careful, but nothing appeared out of place until they did an ultrasound and told her, ‘You have a potentially cancerous tumour’,” Bob says.
“Being diagnosed with cancer is like getting on a 90mph roller coaster, things happen incredibly fast. We were thrown into a maelstrom of appointments, tests and, above all, choices – which oncologist to select, which surgeon, what was the best course of action, either chemotherapy then surgery or vice versa.
“Then there was the hard part of telling people. Of course everyone is supportive but it was still challenging.
“Fortunately, neither of us was engaged in a full-time day job, so it was not difficult to put things on hold, and we had good medical insurance, but I recall a horrible sensation of ‘our lives are being taken over’ by this event, and of not knowing where I stood or what I should do.